The Thunderbolts
by RyansKid
Summary: General Nick Fury has ordered Carol Danvers to put together a team designed to go on the most dangerous of suicide missions. But can a team comprised of super-power thugs, morally bankrupt mutants, and highly medicated clones succeed? Pre-Ultimates 2.
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own any of the characters in this story**

Carol Danvers marched purposefully through the halls of the Triskelion. She had been ordered to report to General Fury's office. That meant one of two things as anyone in S.H.I.E.L.D. knew. You were either going to be promoted, or you were about to be banished to an office job in some Antarctic research post.

Of course Danvers knew she was to valuable to be sent away, and so questioned what exactly she was going to be put in charge off.

When she walked in Fury was standing at the window, almost as if surveying his domain. And it was very much his considering the fact he was in charge of the most powerful military organization on the planet Earth.

"You wanted to see me General," Danvers said saluting her superior.

"There's no need for the Carol. Please take a seat," Fury motioned to the chair in front of his massive desk.

"Have you seen the papers recently? Seen what they've been saying about the Ultimates?" Fury questioned.

"If you're referring to the criticism they've been receiving after there operation in Colombia then yes sir I have. A lot of dead civilians, and Barton is in critical condition correct?"

"Yes he is. Our intelligence was faulty, it got real ugly real fast. But I wanted to talk to you about a solution I've proposed to the president."

"What's that sir?"

Fury reached into a drawer and pulled out several thick files. He thumbed through them for a moment, taking count of all of them before sliding them across towards Danvers. As she flipped through them she noticed immediately that these were the files of various super-powered criminals.

"I…I don't understand sir."

"It's simple Danvers. S.H.I.E.L.D. can't risk having the Ultimates look bad. They are the face of our organization and our country as a whole. But these…people, and I use the term lightly, can be sent on the blackest of ops. Suicide missions. No one will make any commotion if a couple go missing."

Danvers was starting to understand what Fury was getting at. A super secret team with no direct ties to S.H.I.E.L.D. made completely of _reformed_ criminals. And Carol Danvers would be the director. Of course if any of this leaked it would be an end to her career, but it could be a stepping stone for bigger and better things.

"But General Fury…look at the names you've given me. Gwen Stacy? Cain Marko? The Beetle, Hobgoblin, The Blob, Scorpion, Electro? For God's sake sir, you want me to put Bullseye on the team."

The director of S.H.I.E.L.D. sat back in his chair and interlocked his fingers, raising on of his eyebrows.

"And your point?"

"Permission to speak freely sir?"

"Granted."

"My point, sir….is that these people will go **fucking megaton** at the drop of a hat. What's to stop them from disobeying orders and killing everyone in a ten mile radius of wherever we drop them?"

Fury leaned forward, frustrated that Danvers wasn't sharing in his vision.

"Just make it work Danvers. You have access to anyone being held in the Triskelion excluding Magneto and Banner, and if you want someone who's on the loose let us know and we will track them down."

Danvers took the files and stood up, saluting one last time before leaving the General's office. She turned to look at her mentor once more before heading on her way.

"General Fury…what exactly is this projects codename? What is S.H.I.E.L.D. going to call this team?"

The most powerful man in the world smiled as he walked back to look out the window. He turned his head back ever so slightly and looked at Danvers.

"The Thunderbolts."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N – Sorry if I didn't make it clear, this story takes place before Ultimates 2.**

Carol Danvers sat in her office pouring over the psychological evaluations of those lucky individuals who might be on the team she had been ordered to form. Aside from having to judge whether or not these freaks were stable enough to actually be let out of their cages, Danvers also had to assess which power sets would offset each other, which personalities would mesh, and most importantly who would lead the team.

"The Thunderbolts? What kind of fucking name is that anyway?"

She paced around her office in frustration. It wasn't the name that bothered Danvers. It wasn't the risk she ran of losing her job. It wasn't even what the Thunderbolts candidates had done.

What was bothering Danvers the most was what she knew the team was _really_ for. Fury could tell her a hundred times that this team was only going to be used for black ops suicide missions. But she knew that what she was really putting together was a team to rival the Ultimates.

This was the world's insurance policy. A back up plan just in case the Earth's mightiest heroes ever went rouge. That is what was making her so sick. What would stop S.H.I.E.L.D. from sending the Thunderbolts after the Fantastic Four? Or the X-Men? Or even Spider-man?

"The Cape-Killers is what they should be called."

The next day Danvers got the call to report to General Fury, but she was more than ready. She had eight excellent candidates, whose combined might would be more than a match for any threat. When she strode into his office this time he was already sitting at his desk, a serious look on his face. She snapped to attention, arm moving into a stiff salute.

"At ease Danvers, sit down."

Carol sat down, carefully setting her files down in front of her. Fury leaned back in his chair interlocking his fingers. He was ready to hear Danvers presentation.

"Well General I tried my best to assemble a team with the powers that would work well together, and frankly sir I think I've done a hell of a job and…"

"I'll be the judge of that."

Danvers nodded, she was a little taken aback but she didn't let it show. She nodded her head and pushed the files towards Fury. She spent the next half hour studying Fury's face for any sign of dissatisfaction. Finally he set down the last folder and stared at her.

"Some interesting choices."

"Which in specific sir?"

General Fury laughed to himself, quickly thumbing through the files before picking one out and pushing it back towards Danvers.

"The Spot for example."

Danvers looked at The Spot's file. His real name was Frank Ohnn. He had obtained his powers following a lab accident at Roxxon Industries. The accident permanently disfigured him, turning him chalk white with constantly moving black spots, but they allowed him to open portals anywhere through which instant travel was possible.

"Well General, since the Triskelion isn't currently housing any metahumans with super speed, The Spot allows us to cover vast distances in a short time. And of course he isn't limited to the number of people he can carry."

Fury nodded, putting Ohnn's file at the bottom of the pile, but he wasted no time tossing another one towards Danvers.

"Robert Reynolds?"

"Yes, Void…"

"Or Sentry depending on what day you ask him Danvers."

Robert Reynolds had the potential to be one of the most powerful beings on the planet. His powers came from a failed attempt at recreating the same super soldier serum that created Captain America, but the serum Reynolds took had photosynthetic properties, meaning his cells created energy at an amazing rate.

Unfortunately the serum's effect caused Reynolds mind to split in two. He became an agoraphobic schizophrenic with two distinct personalities, Void and Sentry. His Sentry persona was a hero, but it was seemingly destroyed after Reynolds failed to save his wife from a home invader. Void was the only one left, and all he was interested in was causing as much death and destruction as possible.

"He only answers to Void now General Fury. Now while his mental stability is questionable, the amount of physical strength he brings to the team is to great to pass up."

"And if he completely loses it? What then?"

"Cain Marko, Juggernaut as he's better known, is more than capable of handling him until the Ultimates arrive."

Fury threw another folder to Danvers. This is was the one Danvers was going to have the most trouble explaining.

"Tell me Danvers…why in God's name would you want Nightmare on your team? You did read his file correct?"

"Yes sir."

"Then you know what he did at that diner?"

"Yes sir. But you have to understand…"

"Understand! He made those poor people do the most grotesque things to themselves. For a whole twenty-four hours Danvers!"

Nightmare, John Dee. Danvers almost threw up reading his file. He was a mutant, born with the power to influence people's minds through dreams. As he grew older he mastered his powers and was able to pull people's dreams from their minds while they were still conscious and warp small pockets of reality to mimic them. Around the age of twenty-six however he had an accident while using his powers which made him unable to sleep, unable to dream. The accident eventually cost him his sanity.

Fury was referring to the atrocities Dee had committed a year ago. Knowing the X-Men were on there way to apprehend him, Dee stopped at a diner and waited for them. In the twenty-four hours it took to them to find him, Nightmare forced the unlucky patrons of the diner to commit acts of self-mutilation, necrophilia, murder, and even cannibalism. When the X-Men discovered him, Dee was lounging in a pool of blood, conversing with a severed head.

"If medicated properly General…I mean Nightmare could be the most valuable member of the team."

"And I suppose you'll tell me if you properly medicate Gwen Stacey and Benjamin Poindexter then they will be fine too right?"

Carnage and Bullseye had both in S.H.I.E.L.D. custody for some time, and both had attempted escape multiple times. And while Stacey had minimal control over whom she hurt because of the symbiote in her bloodstream, Bullseye did…and he killed as many people as possible.

"Maybe, maybe not sir. But you told me to put a team together. You told me to get you black ops team together, your Thunderbolts and here they are."

Fury set the files down and leaned back in his chair. He stroked his beard, obviously in deep thought, before leaning forward once more and setting his hands on the table.

"And who are you going to get to lead this team of thugs and psychos?"

Danver smiled to herself. She knew what she was about to say would send Fury over the edge.

"Abner Jenkins and Melissa Gold. Both are fliers, both are experienced fighters, and even more experienced leaders, and…"

"Both are ex-HYDRA!"

Danvers quickly ran down the other reasons The Beetle and Songbird needed to be on the team. The Beetle has a high level of intelligence and was an extremely skilled mechanic and engineer, and Songbird could manipulate sound and create solid sound constructs. The fact that they were former HYDRA agents was of little consequence.

"I understand that General, but both of them are ready to defect. I need strong leaders for this team, and these two are the only one who can do it."

Fury stood up and walked to the window, letting out a deep sigh.

"You really want a team of The Spot, Juggernaut, Nightmare, Void, Bullseye, Carnage, The Beetle, and Songbird?"

"Yes sir," Danvers said standing up.

Fury turned and looked at her before giving her a nod of consent. As Danvers left Fury sighed again.

"God help us if this ever gets out of control…"


	3. Chapter 3

The two men sat comfortably as the limousine traveled through the German countryside. It was a truly breathtaking thing to behold, moving around the majestic Alps. This was one of the few places that had remained untouched during the Second World War

It had been years since one of the men had seen this beautiful country, and it brought a tear to his eye.

"Are you alright Johann?"

The man wiped his eye, ashamed at letting his guard down momentarily. Johann turned and looked at the young man next to him. Blonde hair, piercing blue eyes, he looked just like his father from what Johann could remember. He was a perfect German, just as his father had been.

"You look just like your father you know?"

The young man shifted in his seat, the topic of his father obviously a touchy one. Johann would remember that, and he would use it to his advantage should the need arise.

"Yes, I'm well aware of that, and trust me when I say that's the only thing I share with him."

"Do you remember your father at all?"

"No. All I know of him is what I've been told. He was a skilled fighter, brilliant scientist, Hitler's chief technological advisor, and of course the only member in the Third Reich to surpass Josef Mengele in infamy."

Johann nodded and decided to drop it. Everything the young man had said was true. His father was the only man in the SS to provide Johann a challenge in physical combat. And the infamy the boy was speaking of came from an incident that resulted in the death of an entire German village at the hands of his father.

The remainder of their drive went in silence. When the limousine began its journey through the suburbs of Berlin Johann's jaw dropped. A German boy walked hand in hand with an Arab. A girl with pink hair pushed an African boy in a wheel chair down the street. Johann could not contain his frustration any longer when they drove past a synagogue.

"My God! What is all of this? Herr Hitler must be rolling in his grave!"

"That's assuming Hitler is even buried somewhere."

The young man couldn't help but laugh despite the fact the older man had no clue as to what he was talking about.

"What do you mean boy?"

"The Russians got to Berlin first Johann. Hitler committed suicide, but the Russians took his body. God knows what they did with it."

"But…what about all of this filth?"

Johann motioned to the window, visibly disgusted with what he was seeing.

"National Socialism is dead Johann, there is no place for it in today's world. I suggest you quickly abandon the foolish idea of a master race. We're here"

They had arrived at a small private airstrip at the Berlin International Airport. They quickly boarded the airplane and took off. Their flight wouldn't last long and Johann had several questions as to where they were going and what the end goal was.

"Who is this man we are going to meet? Is he a German?"

"No Johann, an American. At least that's where he grew up."

"Then why is he in such a shit hole of a country?"

"It isn't a shit hole anymore. He's turned the country into the ninth richest nation on the planet."

"Why do we need him? What exactly are you planning?"

"Don't worry Johann, don't worry. Everything will be fine."

Johann didn't appreciate being kept in the dark. There was a time when it had been he who had devised any sort of plan. But the boy did seem to be just as intelligent as his father had been.

"One last question…can we trust him?"

"Probably not. But who can you ever really trust?"

The young man smiled a devilishly charming smile. Johann nodded and gazed out the window for the remainder of his flight. Finally the plane began to descend into the small eastern European nation.

"I have something special for you Johann. Catch."

The young man through Johann a silk bag tied with a ribbon. The initials J.S. embroidered onto the bag. Johann reached in and removed something that filled him up with pride. As he put on his skull like mask he looked up and saw the boy put his own mask on.

It was very simple, just a purple hood. Then atop his head the young man sat a small gold crown, a symbol of his nobility.

The both men stood and headed for the plane's hatch. As they strolled down the steps they looked around. While a year ago they would have seen small hovels and mule drawn carts, they now saw towering skyscrapers and hybrid cars.

A limousine adorned with the countries flag pulled up to the airplane and the county's ruler emerged.

"Baron Zemo. Red Skull. I am Doctor Doom. Welcome to Latveria."


End file.
